Self-harm in children and teens: Overview

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A child or teen may turn to self-harm as a way of responding to distress. Find out about the main causes and coping methods.

Key points

  • Self-harm can reflect a person’s efforts to cope with distressing thoughts, emotions or sensations. Not everyone who self-harms has thoughts of suicide. However, self-harm can sometimes result in serious physical injury, sometimes unintentionally.
  • If you learn that your child is harming themselves, talk to them about your concerns and seek input from their health-care provider. It is important to approach conversations about self-harm with sensitivity; for instance, caregivers can focus on communicating care and concern about personal safety in ways that minimize shame and stigma. 
  • Someone who engages in self-harm may benefit from learning to use safer coping strategies, such as distraction, using ice cubes or other sensory activities in safe ways, or paced breathing.
Last updated: மார்ச் 20th 2025